Expert Card Technique. Jean Hugard
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the action of pushing off two cards as one.
4. Place the left thumb tip upon the edge of the top card at the middle of the end. To do this it will be necessary to bend the top joint so that the point of contact with the card is the side of the thumb tip, as marked A in Fig. 3.
5. Move the left thumb three-quarters of an inch to the right in an arc which is a segment of an imaginary circle, the center of which would be a point midway between the tip of the thumb and the inner left corner of the top card, which is pressed into the flesh of the palm, Fig. 1. Again, it is important that the left thumb should not push the card straight off the pack to the tight but should describe the small inward arc as stated; the nature of this action will be more fully explained in item 2 of the actual deal. The reason for this arcing push-off is that the card pivots at its inner left corner against the flesh of the palm and is at all times under the control of the left thumb, whether it is being pushed off the pack or drawn back onto it.
b. The Deal
With the grip taken as described in the preceding section, the tip of the left thumb, at its side, rests upon the extreme edge of the middle of the top card as in Fig. 1. To make the deal:
1. Press downwards very lightly with the thumb tip forcing a minute segment of flesh far enough over the edge of the top card to engage the edge of the second card. This is not nearly as difficult as it may seem and a minimum of experiment will teach the amount of downward pressure required.
2. Move the thumb to the right in an arc, taking with it the top and second cards, the latter being drawn along by the tiny fold of flesh. Because of the pivoting action at the inner left corner, as has been explained, the two cards swing outwards towards the right as one card and remain always in perfect register. They should not be pushed off the pack more than three-quarters of an inch, Fig. 3.
It should be noted particularly that, because of the bent position of the first joint of the left thumb, the pressure on the edges of the two cards is an inward pressure which forces their inner left corners-into the flesh of the palm. In other words, the pressure is exerted from beyond the end of the pack and inwards towards the right; it must not—and this cannot be stressed too strongly—be merely a pressure to the right since this would give no control of the cards.
3. With the cards thus pushed off the deck, place the tip of the right second finger upon the face of the second card. By a slight upward pressure to the right draw this card away to the right at the same moment that the left thumb, now pressing lightly on the top card, draws it back to the left squarely on the pack. Drop the right thumb upon the second card the instant the first card is out of the way and deal it as the top card, Fig. 4.
The entire action has been described in the fullest detail but it must be remembered that one hand differs from another in the width and length of the palm, in the length of the thumb and fingers and, because of this disparity in individual anatomy, these instructions should be studied more for the basic principles than for exact measurements.
c. The Push-Off Stud Poker Deal
In this method of dealing, in which the cards are dealt face upwards, the cards are pushed off the pack exactly as in the preceding method. However, the right hand approaches to take the second card with its palm towards the body. The first and second fingers slide over the two projecting cards, the upper side of the second finger pressing against the face of the lower card at the index at the right outer corner. At the same moment the left thumb draws the top card back upon the pack, the second card being drawn to the right, face down, between the right first and second fingers, Fig. 5.
The right thumb presses upwards on the face of the card and turns it face upwards as it is dropped on the table, Fig. 5.
d. As a False Table Count
This method makes an excellent subterfuge for dealing extra cards secretly on a table pile. For each extra card required a two-card push-off is made and these two cards are dealt as one in the usual manner.
For small numbers, when special care must be taken, a good plan is this: Assuming that a four ace trick is being performed and that the operator wishes to deal, apparently, three cards on the table, whereas four cards are dealt in reality:
1. Deal one card on the table.
2. Deal a second card.
3. Push off the next two cards as one, grasp both at the outer right corner and thrust the two, as one, under the tabled cards.
Finally, it is earnestly suggested that the student bear these main principles in mind at all times:
1. The principle of the right angle grip, with the left side of the pack resting against the palm above the angle thus formed.
2. The grasping and the control of the whole pack by pressure of the third and fourth fingers at the inner right side, this pressure holding the left side flat against the entire width of the palm.
3. The beveling inwards of the cards at the right corners.
4. The inward pressure to the right of the thumb arcing to push off the two cards.
5. The pivoting of the inner left corners of the two cards against the flesh of the palm.
With these points thoroughly understood, experiment should be made until the right grip of the pack for the reader’s hand is secured. This should be marked at once upon the palm and the fingers and all phases of the grip noted. It cannot be too strongly stressed that the difficulty in second dealing does not come from the action but from the placing of the pack in the hand. Two hours spent in acquiring the correct grip will prove more valuable than a hundred hours of aimless dealing of the cards.
II. THE STRIKE SECOND DEAL
In this method the thumb pushes the top card to the right as the right thumb strikes the surface of the second card, drawing it off to the right as the left thumb draws the top card back squarely onto the pack.
The great defect in this method is that very few card players deal cards in this fashion; the action is abnormal and hence open to suspicion, no matter how excellent the technique. Moreover, the student must have the expert’s willingness to work upon a sleight, for the strike deal calls for absolute dead certainty of execution, for perfect timing and for perfect gripping of the cards.
Nevertheless, the student will not be satisfied until he has tried his hand at this method and it must be confessed that there are excellent uses for it. Some experts use it for pseudo-exposés of gamblers’ subterfuges, explaining the method used to attain the result and reserving the push-off method as a secret weapon for use against onlookers who, satisfied that they now know how second dealing is accomplished, are completely hoaxed by the change of method.
The action for the strike method follows:
1. Grip the pack exactly as for the push-off deal, but extend the left thumb diagonally across the pack so that its tip rests as shown in Fig. 6.
2. Move the left thumb a quarter of an inch to the right, taking the top card with it. This card slides over the tips of the left fingers which are flush with the top of the deck. The pressure of the thumb downwards on the top card is light, being just sufficient to move the card. As in the previous deal the inner left corner pivots on the palm.
3. Bring the right thumb over the